China Dream My Dream A Dream of the Foreign Teacher Sherman Who Has Been a Chinese Teacher for 13 Years

People always say life is full of unforeseen cases and adventures. Just as the main character with a “China Dream” we have here today – an American lady, Miss Sherman. Miss Sherman has been engaged herself in legal documents. But her lifetime dream is to be a teacher. If the pointer could be turned back to thirteen years ago, she wound have never thought that her dream was realized in China – a country far away from America.

Today’s Miss Sherman is the winner of “Bells Prize”, a top award for foreign experts in Hubei and also an honorary professor in colleges. But among all her honors and identities, the role she is most proud of is still the one to be a common teacher.

The 62-year-old Miss Sherman is about to leave Hubei Polytechnic Institute for her retirement age. She is to end her 13-year teacher career in Xiaogan.

When first came to China, Miss Sherman engaging herself in Business English teaching was not satisfied with the teaching materials. She thought the textbooks were not practical for her. So she wrote a new one with several other colleagues. To make the textbook she wrote more practical, she has been to Guangdong for more than one time to understand what knowledge requirements entrepreneurs have on undergraduates.

In addition to the teaching tasks of at least 14 class hours each week, Miss Sherman would act as the oral training partner in the English corner for three days every week. She made use of the time for shopping and cooking to help student in speaking English. If there are students with need for internship, she would help contact with enterprise to receive them.

For her perseverance in her teacher dream, Miss Sherman chooses to stay when it is time for her to renew her contact with the institute. She has seen students graduate for batches in thirteen years. This time, she is the one to leave.

A student working in Nike gave several dozens of white socks to Miss Sherman. She said she would bring these gifts back to America without any left. Compared to enhancement of teaching skills, the feelings and memories she has received in the thirteen years are these she most cherishes on her way to perseverance in dreams.